Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Education Lee Joo-ho said on the 12th that the upcoming 21st presidential election should be a historic turning point for national unity, beyond simply electing a new national leader.
On this day, the acting Prime Minister revealed this while presiding over a meeting of ministers responsible for fair elections at the Government Seoul Complex, marking the first day of the official campaign for the 21st presidential election.
Officials from the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Korean compatriate agency, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Korean National Police Agency, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Ministry of Personnel Management, and Korea Post attended the meeting.
The acting Prime Minister noted, "Trust in the fairness of the election is more important than anything else," and urged that this election must be conducted fairly and transparently to ensure that public trust does not waver.
He also stated, "We will respond resolutely to any illegal acts that undermine the fairness of the election or hinder the rational choices of voters under the principle of zero tolerance."
The acting Prime Minister also stated, "Acts such as bribery, spreading false information, election violence, and illegal deepfake videos are serious crimes that can undermine the legitimacy of the election," and urged the Ministry of Justice and the Korean National Police Agency to prevent illegal activities in advance through close cooperation and information sharing and to crack down strictly.
In addition, he said, "Public officials, as 'servants to all citizens', are prohibited by law from engaging in activities that affect elections," and urged all public officials to take this seriously and maintain political neutrality until the election is over.
The acting Prime Minister stated, "Elections are the most important democratic process for confirming the will of the sovereign citizens," and emphasized that the entire government must focus its efforts to ensure all citizens can exercise their voting rights.